Universal joint



April 1950 N. B. STRACHOVSKY 2,504,750

UNIVERSAL JOINT Filed Oct. 2, 1944 V 2 Sheets-Sheet l April 18, 1950 N. B. STRACHOVSKY UNIVERSAL JOINT 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Oct. 2, 1944 r1] II 1 Patented Apr. 18, 1950 UNIVERSAL JOINT Nikita B. Strachovsky, Erie, Pa., assignor to Lord Manufacturing Company, Erie, Pa., a corporation of Pennsylvania Application October 2, 1944, Serial No. 556,758

In universal joints of the conventional type operating through large an'gles, there is a variation in the instantaneous angular velocity of the driven member of the joint which imposes undesirable strains on the joint and the associated mechanism.

The ob ect of my invention is to smooth out the eiieot of the variations in angular velocity Claims. (01. 64-13) by the interposition of a torsionally resilient connection. Further ob ects and advantages appear in the specification and claims.

In the accompanying drawing, Fig. 1 is an end elevation of a umversal oint embodying my invention; Fig. 2 is a sectional view on line 2--2 of Fig. 1; Fig. 3 is a sectional side elevation; Fig. 4 isasectiononlineHofFigJ; andFig.5isa section on line 5-5 of Fig. 4.

Referring to the drawing, there is shown a universal Joint having driving and driven members I and 2 having forked ends 3 and 4 received in needle bearings 5 and 6. As is customary, the axes of the bearings 5 and 6 are at right angles to each other.

Between the driving and driven members is an intermediate membercomprising spaced rings 1 and I having opposed outwardly flaring faces concentric with the axis of the joint. Between and bonded to the opposed faces of the rings I and 8 is a rubber ring 9 which provides a torsionally resilient connection between the rings. Fixed to the outer faces of the rings 1 and 8 are bearing brackets in and II in which the bearings 5 and 6 are secured by clamps l2 and i3.

It will be noted that the members of the universal joint are secured to the more remote ring of the intermediate member. Integral with the bearing brackets I0 and II are lugs l4 which project through clearance openings IS in the rubber and in the opposite ring. As shown in Fig. 4, the clearance openings limit the relative angular movement between the rings, I and 8. Plates it are fastened to the outer ends of the lugs It to hold the parts together in case of failure of the rubber bond.

In the operation of the joint while transmitting power through large angles, there is a continual variation in the relative angular velocity of the driving and driven members of the joint which is cushioned in the present construction by the torsionally resilient connection provided by the rubber ring 9. The internal friction of the rubber also tends to damp torsional vibrations. Both the driving torque and the torsional vibrations are accommodated by shear of the rubber ring.

What I claim as new is:

1. In a universal joint, parts having spaced opoeed surfaces surrounding the axis or the joint and connected by rubber bonded to the opposed surfaces, and driving and driven members having trunnions respectively pivoted on one and the other of said parts.

2. In a universal oint, driving and driven members, an mtermediate member having two parts surrounding the axis or the Joint and connected by a torsionahy resilient connection, and trunnions pivoting the driving and driven mem-.

bers respectively on one and the other org-said parts. 3. In a universal joint, spaced rings fiaving opposed suriaces surrounding and transverse to the axis of the joint, a rubber element between and bonded to said surfaces, driving and driven members on opposite sides of the rings and angu- T larly movable relative to the adjacent ring, and trunnions pivoting each member on the more remote of the rings.

4. In a universal joint, spaced rings having opposed surfaces transverse to the axis of the joint, a rubber element'between and bonded to said surfaces, driving and driven members respectiveiy pivoted to one and the other of said rmgs, and lugs on one of the rings extending through clearance openings in the rubber and the other ring for hmiting the relative angular movement of the rings.

5. In a umversal joint, driving and driven members, an intermediate member having two parts surrounding the axis of the joint, one adjacent the driven and the other adjacent the driving member, a rubber element connecting said parts and arranged to transmit torque between the parts by shear stress in the rubber, and trunnions pivoting the driving and driven members respectively on said one and other of said parts.

NIKITA B. BI'RACHOVBK Y.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS 

